PETA calls for investigation after Turfway fatality

PETA is calling for an investigation into circumstances regarding a recent horse fatality at Turfway Park.

In a letter to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the group also calls for the release of a complete necropsy report, medication records and any other factors that may have contributed to the death of Miss Eau de Vie after an injury during a Jan. 15 race at the Northern Kentucky track, which is owned by Churchill Downs Inc. (See the letter here.)

In a news release, PETA cited concern about a Thoroughbred Daily News report of pavement chunks being found on the recently installed Tapeta Footings synthetic track surface. During a meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said the chunks were caused by human error, according to the report.

Maline said that when the new track surface was installed, "a couple of pieces of blacktop" were inadvertently chopped off and mixed in with the surface material. "It was a very limited situation," he said, and a track inspection found only two or three pieces, according to the TDN report.

“Whether it was a chunk of concrete or a pre-existing injury, the commission must find out why this horse died and take action to prevent fatalities in the future,” PETA senior vice president Kathy Guillermo said in a news release.

PETA also is calling for the racing, training and veterinary records of Miss Eau de Vie to be examined to determine whether she suffered from any pre-existing conditions that could have contributed to her sudden catastrophic injury, according to the release.

Churchill Downs officials could not be reached for comment.